Edith Wharton, the author of Ethan Frome, The Age of Innocence and quite a few other classic works of fiction, would turn 150 today. Wharton was born in New York on the 24th of January, 1862. If you happen to find yourself in

If you're wondering what kept whalers occupied when they weren't busy whaling, Robin Davis of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has part of the answer: reading the works of American women authors. In a

With the new year nearly upon us, this seems like the time to do a roundup of 2011 at the PPL Special Collections. So here are a few quick notes on some of what's happened this year (since March, at least):